GunSense Vermont, a nonpartisan advocacy organization for common-sense gun safety measures, will honor its founder, Ann Braden, with the group's inaugural Leadership and Courage Award Sept. 6 at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.
Braden, a former middle school social studies teacher and author of three children's books, founded GunSense following the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
“Ann Braden’s dedication has been instrumental in propelling GunSense Vermont’s mission forward and advocating for the safety and well-being of our community,” said the organization's executive director, Conor Casey. "There is no one more deserving of GunSense Vermont’s inaugural Leadership & Courage Award than Ann.”
U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., will headline a list of invited speakers at the event. Others who will recognize Braden from the podium include Casey; Grace Walter, a Newtown resident and GunSense Vermont volunteer; and Bob Williamson, a GunSense Vermont board member and longtime gun-reform activist.